


Loved and Lost

by RedParrot



Series: The Greater Good [5]
Category: Original Work
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst, Knotting, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Omegaverse, Post Mpreg
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-14
Updated: 2019-04-14
Packaged: 2020-01-13 07:57:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18464752
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedParrot/pseuds/RedParrot
Summary: ‘Could we just not mate?’ asked Sammy.Jamie sighed, ‘you know that won’t work. You have to mate Sammy. You’ll be ill if you don’t. I’m sorry. I’m sorry that it can’t be Danny in here with you now. I don’t understand how it all works but he’s not in rut, I am. I could work through the rut without mating. But you can’t get through your heat without mating and knotting. Even if you slept with Danny right now, he couldn’t make you pregnant. You know this.’- the family deal with a difficult year as Sammy struggles to come to terms with his life as an Omega.





	Loved and Lost

**Author's Note:**

> This is all a bit angsty and sad at the end.

October

Sammy slowly opened his eyes. He had been asleep again for a couple of hours, he was constantly tired. Although it was not as bad as it had been for the first week. That first week had been awful. 

Jamie had carried him up to his bedroom and helped him into bed. The gentle Alpha and father of their child had kissed him on the top of his head, stroked his hair a few times and told him to sleep. Sammy had remained steadfastly awake until he had seen Clive laying the baby into the cot next to the bed. The baby had been fed before they left the hospital and would not need feeding again for at least three hours. 

It had been an odd sensation feeling the baby latch onto him. It had felt very right. Sammy knew all the natural instincts made him want to nurse his baby but it still felt special to know that he was nourishing the child. But feeding the baby had left him exhausted. 

The doctors had said he would be able to do little more than feed the baby to start with. The toll of the difficult birth had left him very weak to the point that he had passed out immediately after giving birth causing the rest of his pack a lot of worry. But it had been worth it. He had insisted on a natural birth. A cesarean would have left him infertile and their other Alpha male, Daniel, would have been left with little chance of fathering a child meaning a very uncertain future for the man.

Clive had been put in charge of caring for him. Sammy was more than happy to be looked after by the friendly Beta male who would do anything for his welcoming pack. Clive had taken to parenting with aplomb, but he was careful to do everything near Sammy. Sammy did not like to lose sight of his baby. 

The discomfort he was in was easing but it was still more comfortable to sleep on his side. Sammy slowly turned onto his back and looked across to the cot. 

The baby was not there. 

Sammy looked around the room, Clive was not sat in the armchair in the corner holding the baby either. 

Panic rising within him, Sammy tried to sit up, grimacing in pain as he did so. He had to find his baby.

He knew the baby would be taken, but not yet, he was still feeding him. The child would stay until after he was weaned. 

Where was his son?

Slowly, Sammy had no other speed due to his constant fatigue, he pushed the duvet off his small body. His abdomen had quickly reduced in size after the birth, it had been left slightly rounded but his pyjamas were no longer stretched to accommodate him. His breasts were still full, he had several months of feeding the baby before they would dry up and reduce in size. 

He swung his legs off the bed and slowly eased himself forward. He had barely stood over the past couple of weeks. Jamie had helped him to and from the bathroom, even getting in the shower with him the last time when he did not really want another bath.

On shaky legs, he managed to stand in time to see the door to his bedroom opened. 

Jamie looked shocked to see him out of the bed. The Alpha male rushed forward.

‘No, no, no, Sammy, you can’t be out of bed, you’ll hurt yourself-’

‘Where’s Henry?’ Sammy said urgently.

Jamie looked at him and sighed. 

‘Sorry,’ he said as he gently pushed the Omega back onto the bed. ‘You were asleep when the nurse got here. Clive didn’t want to wake you. He thought you would sleep until the nurse was ready to see you…’

‘I want my baby.’

‘He’s coming,’ said Jamie calmly. 

Sammy looked at him. He could see the worry in Jamie’s eyes, but Sammy wanted to know his baby was safe and Henry would only be safe if he was near his Omega.

‘I’m sorry,’ said Clive quietly from the doorway. ‘I really thought you would stay asleep. I won’t take him away from you again.’

Poor Clive looked very upset at what had happened. The Beta had been doing a great job looking after Sammy and Henry since they had returned home. Sammy glared at him for a few seconds before managing a smile.

‘It’s alright Clive,’ he said as he reached out to take the baby from him, immediately feeling relief flood through him to be in contact with his son again. 

The nurse, an older Omega, was stood in the doorway. He smiled at them. 

‘Little Henry is doing very well, he’s still heavier than most babies his age - which is nothing to worry about as he is not a twin.’

The Omega had quickly allayed Sammy’s worry. The nurse was the same one they had seen each week.

‘Once I’ve checked you over, if you’re OK, I’ll be able to drop my visits down to monthly ones.’

The Omega looked at Jamie and Clive for a few seconds. The men both took their cue and left the room. Clive closed the door behind him.

‘I’m guessing you are feeling a little more mobile than you were?’ asked the Omega.

Sammy nodded as he allowed the older man to take Henry from him and place the happily gurgling infant in his cot. 

He did not like having to be examined, but at least the nurse was gentle with him. More gentle than any of the females had been at the hospital. The difficult birth had left him sore, which had meant they needed to keep an eye on him to make sure there were no complications. Sammy watched the nurse pull on a pair of gloves and reach for the lubricant. If he was in heat the lubricant would not be necessary but his heat was not due for a while and so soon after the birth, he still felt uncomfortable when he was touched.

Sammy turned himself onto his side and pushed his pyjamas down to his ankles, pulling his knees up as he did so. The nurse began to examine him gently pushing two fingers into his cunt. The nurse reached for Sammy’s hand and squeezed it. 

‘Nearly done,’ said the nurse as he withdrew his fingers. ‘You’ve healed well. We won’t need to do that again. But you must call me if you feel any discomfort there. And I really mean it.’

The Omega looked at Sammy for a few seconds before Sammy nodded.

‘And if you promise to take it easy, and I’m sure they won’t let you do anything other than take it easy, I’ll sign you off complete bed rest.’

Sammy managed a smile.

‘You can sit with them downstairs. But I think you should still be careful on the stairs. Perhaps get that handsome Jamie to keep carrying you up and down...I know he won’t mind.’

The nurse winked at him. Sammy felt his cheeks flush at the insinuation. 

~A~B~O~

Clive sat at the table reading the news on the laptop whilst Jamie was sorting through another of his jigsaws. It was a standing joke that the big burly Alpha was very good at the infuriating puzzles. Clive did not have the patience to sort through what looked like an endless sky on his latest large puzzle.

Clive had been moving the odd piece away from where Jamie had put it. Receiving a good-natured slap on the arm when Jamie noticed what he was doing. 

They both looked up as the baby cried from the other room. Jamie was almost out of his seat when they saw Sammy cross the lounge from the chair he had been curled up in to see to Henry.

‘He’s a natural,’ said Jamie quietly.

‘He’s an Omega,’ Clive reminded him. ‘Of course he’s a natural...it’s what they do…’

Jamie rolled his eyes, Clive smirked.

Clive watched as Jamie went to join his Omega and their son. The Alpha took the child from Sammy as he settled himself to feed little Henry who was impatiently waiting.

Jamie was correct, the Omega was indeed a good parent. He had wanted to do everything and been frustrated when he physically could not, when he first arrived home. Now that he was at least allowed out of bed he had started taking on more of the role that he should have been doing from the start. They had all been very sure to make Sammy understand that he was to ask for help and that they would be annoyed with him if he strained himself. 

Sammy had been very good, he had allowed Clive to continue to carry Henry around for him and was not complaining when Jamie insisted on helping him up and down the stairs. Sammy was still a bit stiff after the difficult birth and found it difficult to climb the stairs without help. It had been suggested that Sammy and Henry sleep downstairs but like all Omega, Sammy wanted to be in the safety of his room.

Jamie had allowed Sammy to deal with their son, but been there whenever the recovering Omega needed a break, being careful not to take Henry out of Sammy’s sight. The incident the previous week had taught them all that the protective Omega was not ready to let his child go. 

That fact worried Clive a little. Sammy knew he would have to give up the baby after he was weaned, but had not really talked about the eventuality. Clive had overheard Daniel talking to Jamie about making sure Sammy was prepared for the loss. Jamie had not wanted to bring the subject up so soon after the birth but Daniel wanted to know that Sammy was ready. 

It had been horrible watching Jamie have to deal with Liam, their previous Omega, when it came to giving up their children. Clive was not looking forward to the day it would happen. 

Then there was the sex of the baby. They would not know which of the male sexes Henry was until he was weaned. He would present and his life would be mapped out for him. Clive hoped that baby Henry was not a Beta. The poor boy would have nothing, he would be brought up in a sterile home with the other Beta males. He might be lucky, like Clive had been, and get to live in a real home with a family, but Clive really was an exception to the rule. Most Beta males either stayed in the homes with no prospects or allowed themselves to be used for sex, as Clive had done for a while. Some Beta’s worked as servants for wealthy women, but again that was not often. 

Poor Henry would have a much better life if he was an Alpha or Omega. But it would have better still if he had been female.

The next few months were going to be quite fraught, thought Clive as he watched Sammy lovingly feed his son. Was Sammy pushing all the horrible things aside to enjoy the moment?

Clive wondered if that was a good thing?

~A~B~O~

January

Little Henry, was already not very little anymore. The boy was already on solid food. The months of being the sole provider to his baby had ended several weeks ago. The baby had taken to solid food well. Sammy had found the transition a little difficult, he had felt slightly bereft, missing the need to nurse the baby several times a day.

He had found some information about babies before the evolutionary leap and been jealous of the women. They had been able to feed their babies for much longer, but they also did not need to worry about their next heat getting in the way. The cruelty of the evolutionary leap seemed to know no bounds. 

Sammy could already feel the prickle of his next heat. The heat would take him away from his baby, he would not be able to help himself, he would need to mate, have to mate and baby Henry would have to be looked after by someone else. Not that Sammy minded handed Henry over now. The first few weeks had been difficult. The tricky birth had left him extremely worried about his baby, mainly because he could not do anything more than feed Henry. 

Now he was happy to leave Henry in the capable hands of Clive who had taken to being a surrogate parent very well. But Sammy did not like to be apart from Henry for long, even now he was not feeding him. 

Sammy stood in front of his full-length mirror and looked at his naked body, his chest was almost flat again and his stomach had pretty much returned to its previous firmness. Although he would always have a slightly rounded stomach now. 

Jamie had told him several times he found Omega’s who had obviously carried a child to be more attractive. Clive had sniggered and pointed out that his comment fit exactly with the psychology book he had been reading. An Omega who had carried a baby was more likely to be able to carry another child. Jamie had looked a little embarrassed at being pigeonholed. 

Sammy slowly redressed as he watched his son sleep in his cot. The baby looked more like Jamie than himself, but Sammy did not mind. The baby was healthy and that was what mattered, the birth had nearly cost him dearly, but it had worked out in the end. 

But, the unfortunate thing, yet another cruel thing to come from the evolutionary leap, was that his next heat would be with Jamie again. Daniel would have gone into rut at about the same time as he was giving birth and therefore could not mate with him. Sammy hated that his pregnancy by Jamie gave Daniel one less chance to father a child himself.

And, if he were to get pregnant again with Jamie there would be only one more chance for Daniel before he was forced to leave the pack. Sammy had become quite despondent when he had worked it out. He wondered if he could somehow prevent a pregnancy during his next mating?

Sammy recalled the day he had realised and been sat nursing Henry with tears in his eyes. Meg had found him and asked him what was wrong. She had offered what comfort she could and explained that one of the things that she and the other progressive women were trying to do was give Alpha males longer to father children when their Omega had been pregnant by the other pack Alpha.

The law was only in place to ensure the survival of the species, but Meg constantly, and tirelessly, campaigned to have it changed and brought into line with the more successful countries. Sammy had come to appreciate what she did more and more over his time in the pack. He had been very wary of her to start with, but she was so lovely to all the males in the pack, not like most women. 

He finished dressing and picked up Henry who had begun to stir. The baby would want feeding again soon, Sammy knew that Clive would have preempted the need and have already prepared food for Henry and probably something for him as well. 

Sammy knew that Henry could not be in better hands when he had his heat with Jamie in a few weeks time. Although it would be odd, knowing that their son was not far away.

~A~B~O~

February

The need in Sammy had become clear, the Omega had tried to suppress it, tried to deny it, tried to ignore it. But Jamie knew Sammy would not last much longer. The scent was different this time. Now that Sammy had carried a child he was different. But the need to mate was still there. They could not ignore the urges.

Jamie watched as Sammy fussed around Henry, talking to Clive quietly. Clive was nodding, he was humouring the younger man. They all knew that Henry would be fine for a few hours. The mating couple could easily take a break so that Sammy could see his son. Henry would only be downstairs or in his cot, which had been moved into Clive’s room for the few days the heat lasted. 

Reluctantly Sammy gave into the urge. He kissed Henry on the forehead, glanced at Clive who smiled reassuringly and turned to Jamie who was waiting for him at the bottom of the stairs. 

‘It’s odd isn’t it?’ said Jamie as he put his arm around Sammy’s shoulders.

‘What?’

‘All this biology. It’s so cruel. You just want to be with your baby but your body wants you to make another baby.’

Sammy did not respond as they climbed the stairs together. Jamie followed his Omega into the bedroom. Sammy had spent the previous day tidying the room and getting it ready for his heat. Now that he had been through a few heats Sammy was better at predicting exactly when he would need to mate.

Jamie watched Sammy as he started to strip off his loose clothes. They all knew it was uncomfortable for the Omega as their heat, which literally made the men feel hot, took control of them. Sammy had been wearing baggy clothes for a few days. 

It was obvious Sammy was preoccupied, and not with the heat he was going through. They were all feeling the slight tenseness. If Sammy got pregnant with Jamie it would mean Daniel had one less chance to father a child before he was forcefully taken from the family to an uncertain fate. Jamie wished it was different. 

‘Could we just not mate?’ asked Sammy.

Jamie sighed, ‘you know that won’t work. You have to mate Sammy. You’ll be ill if you don’t. I’m sorry. I’m sorry that it can’t be Danny in here with you now. I don’t understand how it all works but he’s not in rut, I am. I could work through the rut without mating. But you can’t get through your heat without mating and knotting. Even if you slept with Danny right now, he couldn’t make you pregnant. You know this.’

Sammy pushed his boxer shorts off and lay them neatly on the chair. Even in his upset state, the Omega was still very tidy. 

‘I hate the biology,’ said Sammy sullenly. 

Jamie almost smirked at Sammy’s attitude but knew it was not the time. The heat should be a good thing, it should be enjoyed, not endured. But he knew that was what it was going to be, a task for them both to get through. 

Sammy climbed onto the bed, he simply arranged himself on his hands and knees and waited. Jamie quickly stripped off, leaving his clothes as neatly as he could manage on the chair with Sammy’s. 

He climbed onto the bed. The atmosphere was different this time. The Omega was not nervous, he was not hesitant any more. Jamie longed for things to go back to the way they had been before the pregnancy, when Sammy had still been quite wide-eyed and naive. The Omega was wound up about Daniel, but could not help his own urges. 

Jamie settled himself between Sammy’s legs, he stroked the younger man’s back a little as he lined himself up. Sammy could not help himself as the urges took over his reluctant mind. Jamie pushed into the Omega slowly, giving Sammy time to get used to him. It was his first mating since giving birth, Jamie did not want to hurt his mate. As it was there were no issues. Jamie was able to thrust into Sammy quite easily. Jamie was pleased when he heard his mate make a few positive sounds, as he began to enjoy the sensation of being mated. As he should do. 

Sliding his hand off Sammy’s hip, Jamie reached for the small cock that he knew would be hard. With little effort, he managed to match his hand movements with his own rhythm. Sammy came with a small sigh after a few seconds. He relaxed, the tenseness about his shoulders melting away as Jamie took control. 

Knowing what the answer would be if he asked Sammy if he was ready to be knotted, Jamie just allowed it to happen. He pulled the smaller man closer as he stopped his forward thrust and locked himself inside him. Sammy allowed Jamie to arrange them to lie on their sides. Jamie nipped at the place on the back of Sammy’s neck where he had bitten him during their bonding, the first time they had mated. The action calmed the Omega until he started to drift off to sleep. Jamie stroked Sammy’s hair and arm for a few minutes until the Omega was sleeping.

He hoped Sammy would not become pregnant, they all hoped he would not. Daniel had been trying not to show his worry, but the closer he got to his thirty-fifth birthday and remained childless the harder it was for him to remain the steadfast leading Alpha that he had been. 

Now that they had knotted once it was possible Sammy would not need to again, Jamie knew Sammy would try to resist the urge but they would have to wait and see what the next few days brought.

~A~B~O~

As they had walked up the stairs Sammy had glanced back at him. Clive had smiled again, trying to offer his friend some reassurance. It was difficult to watch the Omega going off to participate in the heat that neither party wanted. Jamie had been quiet the previous couple of days as they all waited for Sammy to go into heat. Daniel had taken himself off to his workshop and shut himself away. 

Clive felt sorry for the two Alpha males and the Omega. He did not know what they felt like, he could only guess what it was like to have the urges to mate that they had. But to have the urge and not want to mate must have been very difficult for Sammy and Jamie. Daniel desperately wanted to mate, but the biology after the evolutionary leap meant that he was only fertile when he was in rut, once a year, synching up with his Omega. The Alpha’s could have sex, but they would not produce offspring at other times, in the same way that the Omega could only become pregnant during his heat.

Henry wriggled slightly in his arms. Clive cooed at the baby who was big enough to be a bit heavy to hold for any length of time. Settling on the sofa Clive rested the baby on his lap, grabbing his favourite toy as he did so. Henry reached out for the colourful soft toy lion, grabbing the tail with his little hand. 

Clive watched the baby as he sucked on the tail, his blue eyes darting about looking at everything around him. The eyes stopped, staring at something behind Clive.

‘Do you think he recognises us?’ asked Meg.

Clive looked around to see his guardian looking down at the baby, her head tilted to the side. The baby gurgled a few times.

‘He definitely recognises Sammy,’ said Clive as he returned his attention to the baby. 

Meg chuckled, ‘Sammy is his Omega, of course he recognises him.’

Clive realised what he had said. The bond between child and Omega was strong. He wondered what the effect was on the baby when he was taken from his parents? It was something that none of them could remember, but would they all be a little different if they had been brought up within their family as had been the case before the leap?

Meg settled herself on the sofa next to Clive and Henry. She made no move to take the baby. Meg had taken a few turns at holding Henry but was not really comfortable doing so. The baby seemed to sense her anxiety and was always irritable around her. 

‘Before the leap, I would have been the one who carried and gave birth to the baby,’ remarked Meg, ‘I just can’t imagine it. It’s not something I would want to do in any way. I love little Henry, but I don’t feel any of what they called “maternal instinct” towards him.’

She was looked at Henry who was regarding her from behind the safety of his lion. Clive pulled the little boy closer sensing that he was not comfortable.   
‘See, even he knows I don’t know what to do. But all the male sexes know how to deal with babies. Even Beta males are more maternal than women.’

‘I suppose we have to have something going for us,’ replied Clive.

‘Sorry,’ said Meg.

‘But you’re right, women carried the babies and men impregnated them. I’m the closest of the sexes to what a male used to be like and yet I don’t contribute to society at all. I’m the mule of humankind.’ 

‘If you are a mule so am I,’ said Meg, ‘not that I would want a child, the thought of giving birth scares me.’

Clive laughed, causing the baby in his arms to look at him curiously before he smiled and gurgled.

‘I think you would still look lovely with a swollen belly,’ said Clive without thinking. 

Meg hesitated for a moment before replying, ‘if you say so, Mr Midgley. I’m quite proud of my flat stomach...wouldn’t want all those trips to the gym going to waste.’

Clive was glad Meg had taken the remark good-naturedly. He could feel his cheeks redden as he tried not to show his embarrassment. 

‘Do you think you would make a good father?’ Meg asked suddenly.

It was Clive’s turn to hesitate, ‘I’m not sure...although I would be very loyal to my mate, or wife, if it was before the leap.’

Meg nodded, ‘I think you would be very good. Protective and loyal. What more could the mother...or Omega, ask?’

~A~B~O~

August

When Sammy had announced that he was not pregnant, they had all been relieved. Jamie had sighed, and glanced across the room. Daniel had managed a thankful smile. His chances, the limited chances, had not been diminished. 

The six months wait for Sammy’s next heat had been strange. Henry had continued to grow, the baby would sit on his own and stare at whichever of them was watching him. Daniel wondered if the tiny boy knew that he would be destined for a life that was dictated to him, regardless of which sex he presented as?

Sammy had spent most of his time with the baby, only leaving him when he had to. The bond between the pair was strong, Meg and Clive had gently reminded Sammy every so often, that he could not keep Henry, but they all knew the Omega was trying not to think about when he had to give up the baby. Daniel worried what that day would bring. 

The family had a tenseness over it and he knew he was contributing to it. Sammy and Henry should have been the only reason for any tension. But Daniel’s need to father a child was weighing heavily on him. He had immersed himself in his work taking on more than he should have done, putting in long hours in his workshop. Meg had found him asleep one morning after he had worked through the night and simply passed out across the table when the fatigue won out. 

After that she had told him, despite him being the leader of the pack, that she would be hauling him back to the house by eight o’clock each night if he had not already stopped work. There was no point in him making himself ill with worry. 

Meg was right of course, if he became ill there was even less of a chance of him getting his little Omega pregnant during his next heat. Daniel had taken her advice and self-regulated his working hours after that. He was amused to find Clive frequently in his workshop in the aftermath of his telling off. The Beta male would sit quietly drinking tea and collecting bits and pieces of equipment for him. Daniel never thanked him, they both knew it was not necessary. 

And now, nearly a year after Henry was born, Sammy was starting to throw off the intoxicating heat scents. 

Their first heat together in two years was fast approaching. It was obvious Sammy was feeling the pressure again. This time he would be desperate to become pregnant, Daniel hoped he could oblige the younger man. 

Jamie and Clive had gone out for the day, walking along a canal, taking advantage of the good weather to get away from the tension that Daniel knew Jamie felt responsible for.

They all loved Henry, but his birth had created issues, Daniel wondered if the little boy would even know what his existence had created. A worried Omega and an Alpha who was feeling more and more inadequate.

The door to the workshop creaked slightly as it was pulled open, Daniel generally shut the door, even in hot weather, if he was working with his machinery. 

Sammy stepped into the room, he was only wearing a pair of baggy shorts, the warm weather had meant the uncomfortable early stages of his heat were worse. 

‘You can finish what you’re working on,’ said Sammy when Daniel went to put his chisel down. ‘I want to have a shower first and get some snacks and water together.’

‘OK,’ replied Daniel with a smile, ‘Sammy…’

Sammy had turned to go, he paused, his small hand over the door handle. He did not turn back.

‘I know,’ the Omega said, ‘I know that you won’t blame me if I don’t get pregnant, but I really want to.’

Daniel gently placed the chisel on the workbench, he walked around the room to his little Omega who turned around, looking a little apprehensive. Daniel realised that despite his wish to be made pregnant Sammy still wanted the heat to be under what little control he had, in his room, when he was ready.

Daniel stopped a few paces away, not wishing to scare Sammy, ‘whatever happens, will happen and this is not the very last time, is it? There will still be another chance.’

‘But only one,’ said Sammy quietly.

The Alpha nodded, knowing they could not get away from the pressure.

‘Let’s make this a good time,’ said Daniel firmly, ‘I’ll pack up and join you in a little while.’

Sammy managed a smile and pulled the door open, he walked back to the house without looking back. 

~A~B~O~

Daniel knocked at the door, he could tell Sammy was ready for him, the scents were almost at full power. He doubted there would be much build up before Sammy needed to mate. But Daniel waited politely for his little Omega to call out for him to enter. 

Sammy was sat on the edge of the bed, he had already stripped off, gone was the slight embarrassment about being naked in front of him. Daniel undid his dressing gown and shrugged out of it, he hung it behind the door before moving across to Sammy. Kneeling in front of the younger man he used a finger to lift Sammy’s chin before leaning in and kissing him. Sammy kissed back, slipping his small arms around Daniel’s shoulders. They spent a few moments locked in the embrace before Sammy pushed him away. 

Daniel knelt down and looked up at the Omega who obviously had something to say.

‘I would like you to bond with me,’ he said. ‘I know why you didn’t want to last time, but I really want you to. You know that bonded Omega are more likely to fall pregnant. Please, Danny…’

Daniel looked down, he had known the question of them bonding would come up again. Sammy had mentioned it in passing a couple of times in recent weeks when no one else was around. Daniel had managed to avoid answering the question. He had thought long and hard about the answer. When Liam had died it had nearly destroyed him, he could not imagine going through the same thing again if something were to happen to Sammy. 

But Daniel had been close to his bonded Omega that time. He could not deny being fond of Sammy but he was sure, even if they were to bond he would not be as close to Sammy as Jamie was. The bonded Alphas were linked psychologically to their Omega, but were not necessarily in love with them. Daniel was fairly sure the relationship that Jamie now shared with Sammy was similar to that which he and Liam had enjoyed. 

Sammy was still watching him, his head slightly tilted, as he waited for the answer to his question. Daniel looked at him for a few seconds before nodding. Sammy smiled and reached out for his hand. Daniel allowed the smaller man to pull him up again. Sammy broke off contact and shuffled back on the bed a little. Daniel joined him, realising he was a little nervous at the prospect of being a bonded Alpha again. 

Daniel lay beside Sammy who pulled him closer and kissed him again before turning onto his front and pushing himself up onto his knees. Daniel watched him for a few seconds as Sammy trailed his fingers down his chest. 

Sammy leaned forward onto his forearms, Daniel knew his little Omega needed to be mated, the urge had reached him and he could not wait any longer. 

He moved to kneel behind Sammy, stroking his hands across the smaller man’s back and hips as he settled himself between his legs. Daniel paused for a few seconds, his hard cock pressed against his little Omega. He took a steadying breath and began to ease himself into the younger man. Sammy’s breath hitched a couple of times as his body got used to the feeling of fullness the Alpha’s cock would bring. But Sammy had been with him before so knew what to expect now, he quickly settled himself with a hum of contentment.

Daniel began to move in Sammy building a rhythm with his thrusts as he took the Omega’s small cock in his hand and timed his strokes to match his thrusts. Sammy came quickly, wilting slightly as he relaxed. Daniel thrust into the Omega a few more times before coming.

‘Are you ready for me to knot you?’ asked Daniel.

He knew Sammy would need to be knotted but as a responsible Alpha, he also knew it was polite to ask before doing so. Sammy managed a nod. Daniel allowed his knot to grow slowly, giving the Omega time to relax himself. Sammy tensed up a little as Daniel’s cock filled him but managed to remain calm, keeping his breathing steady. 

Daniel knew what he had to do next would be intense for the Omega, despite it being the second time Sammy would be bonded it was still an overwhelming experience for the Omega. He gently leaned over Sammy and nuzzled at the gland on the back of his neck, biting him gently. Sammy wilted completely as the bonding high took hold of him. 

With mixed emotions, Daniel gathered his bonded mate into his arms and gently rearranged them both to lie on their sides as they waited for the Alpha’s knot to go down. 

Over the course of the next few days Daniel wondered if, now that they were bonded, Sammy would manage to fulfil what they all wanted and become pregnant. 

Daniel hoped for the best but was prepared for the worst.

~A~B~O~

Jamie took the fidgety and grumpy baby from the health visitor. The middle-aged Omega tapped Henry’s nose in an attempt to stop him from crying. The action made Henry jump slightly and stare at the Omega, his blue eyes wide. Jamie smirked.

‘He’s putting on weight as we would expect,’ said the Omega with a smile. 

Jamie shifted Henry slightly, weighing the baby up in his arms, they had all noticed the baby getting bigger and heavier. As Henry was not a twin, as most babies were, he was bigger than usual but they had been assured that it was nothing to be worried about and perfectly normal. 

The nurse set out his equipment to test Henry’s blood. Jamie pulled Henry’s sock off so that the nurse could collect the few drops from the baby’s heel. Henry flinched as the needle pricked his skin, he hiccoughed a little before taking a couple of crying breaths. Jamie held the distressed baby closer to him and glanced up to the ceiling. 

The nurse followed his gaze, ‘I doubt Sammy will hear, if he’s in his peak heat that will take over his senses.’

‘He was not keen to leave Henry when we had our heat six months ago. It wasn’t quite as bad this time, but he’s so desperate to get pregnant for Danny’s sake that I think he was happy to leave Henry with me and Clive.’

‘You’ve not had it very good this last couple of years have you?’ said the Omega as he allowed a couple of drops of the blood to drip into the device that tested it. 

Jamie shook his head, ‘and it could get worse...will get worse…’

The Omega nodded his head, understanding what Jamie was inferring. The pack were in for another tense year if Sammy did not get pregnant by Daniel. 

As the drop of Henry’s blood mixed with the solution in the test tube, Jamie saw the nurses smile falter. Jamie knew what that meant. He knew that Henry had either presented as his sex or was not far off presenting. The Omega looked at him for a few seconds, his expression sad. 

Jamie sighed and held his son a little closer.

~A~B~O~

September

Clive had barely noticed the time tick by, after helping Daniel to clear away the dinner plates and finished off his other chores it had been pleasant to settle in his spot on the sofa with his book. Sammy had found him a novel set in Tudor England in a charity shop, Clive had spent the last three evenings devouring the story about Henry VIII and his assortment of women. 

He glanced up as baby Henry tilted his toy over, causing it to make a noise, the baby smiled at his own accomplishment. Sammy turned the toy back again, gently encouraging his son to make the move a second time. 

The soft clicking of the laptop keyboard told Clive, without the need to turn around, that Jamie was still sat in the kitchen researching the current value of different precious stones. The Alpha’s boss was looking to make an investment, which Jamie suspected was actually a way for her to pay fewer taxes, or something. Clive did not really understand what the slightly shady woman was up to. Jamie said he would not be surprised if she ended up getting arrested one day, but she paid well and Jamie was careful to keep well away from anything that was particularly dodgy. 

Meg and Daniel had disappeared to their office and workshop respectively. Meg was working on getting another piece of legislation changed and Daniel had a new commission to work on.

As Clive neared the end of the chapter of his book he heard a car pull up outside. A few seconds later there was a sharp knock at the door. Clive put his book down, after carefully slipping the bookmark into place and walked the couple of yards to the door. He could make out the outline of a couple of people through the frosted glass. He undid the lock and was pulling the door open when he found himself pushed back rapidly by a largely built woman.

Unable to fight back against the much stronger women, Clive had no choice but to stay against the wall that she pushed him into. The rapid shove he had received into the wall had left him stunned. With unnecessary force, the women pressed her palm into the side of Clive’s face pinning him painfully back.

Clive knew the instant he had been pushed back what was happening. Three more women, two of them as big as the women holding him, and one in a suit, walked into the house. 

They had come to take the baby. 

Clive was able to watch what was happening from his uncomfortable spot, pinned to the wall. The big women marched into the room, towering above Sammy who was holding his son. The Omega looked terrified, the fear of women returning to him. He was breathing fast, clutching at Henry who had sensed the distress in his Omega and had begun to cry. 

‘Henry has presented as an Alpha, it is time for him to be placed in a home.’

The women in a suit made her statement and stepped forward to take the baby who was now crying uncontrollably. Sammy’s paralysing fear of the woman was enough for her to simply remove Henry from his grasp. But the Omega’s bond with his baby kicked back in a fraction of a second later. With a feral scream, Sammy scrambled up and grabbed at the women who had turned her back on him, Henry in her arms. 

As Sammy tried to pull the women back to face him, one of the big women took a step towards him. Clive thought, for one horrible moment, that the large women would push Sammy back. The women would easily have knocked the slight Omega to the ground. But Jamie had reached them, rushing in from the kitchen. He grabbed Sammy from behind and dragged him back a few steps. Clive could see the distress on Jamie’s face as he was forced to hold his Omega back as their son was taken away from them.

Sammy had lost all concept of what was going on around him, his sole focus was on Henry and the women holding him. He screamed and tried to pull away from the Alpha’s grasp. 

Hating seeing the drama unfold Clive tried to push away from the wall only to be pushed back again firmly. He could not do anything to help his family, all he could do was watch as Sammy and Jamie’s baby was cruelly taken from them.

~A~B~O~

The fine sandpaper was nearly dulled, Daniel sighed, he would need to go to the wholesalers again to buy more. He wondered if he could persuade Sammy to go with him, it would do the Omega good to get out of the house for a few hours. The Omega had been a little quiet after he knew for certain that he had not become pregnant by Daniel during their heat together. Daniel decided to pack up for the evening and ask Sammy before he put baby Henry to bed.

Daniel looked up sharply as he caught the wave of terror his little Omega had suddenly given off. Similar scents assaulted him, Daniel felt Clive’s fear and Jamie’s panic at the same time. 

Dropping the sandpaper, Daniel ran for the door, rushing towards the house, despite knowing exactly what was happening. They had come for the baby. His little Omega was about to lose the most important thing in his life at that moment and there was nothing they could do to prevent it. 

As he reached the sitting room he was presented with a scene he had seen played out before. Once between Michael and Liam and once between Jamie and Liam. Now he watched as Jamie again held back a confused and scared Omega for the second time. Sammy was crying out for his baby as Jamie, tears in his eyes, tried to calm the younger man.

Glancing across the room towards the door Daniel was shocked to see a stunned-looking Clive pinned firmly, and very unnecessarily, to the wall by one of the security women. Knowing he could not help Jamie, Daniel crossed the room to the security woman.

‘Let him go, he’s no threat to you,’ said Daniel firmly, glaring at the women. 

The women smirked, but she did as she was asked, pulling Clive away from the wall and shoving him, with more force than needed, towards Daniel who gently eased the scared looking Beta male away from the women. Clive allowed himself to be moved, Daniel could feel his friend shaking as he took his arm.

Meg had appeared behind them, she stopped by the door, Daniel could see she was appalled at what was going on in front of her. Women exerting their control over the men, Daniel could see the shame in her eyes. She reached for Clive, the two held onto each other. 

Daniel returned his attention to Sammy and Jamie. Sammy was still reaching for his baby as the woman in the suit handed him to one of the large security women. The big woman merely held the baby, she made no attempt to soothe him. The suited woman turned back to Jamie and Sammy, she pulled some paperwork from a bag she had hanging over her shoulder.

‘When he’s calmed down, he will need to read and sign this. You will need to countersign it. There’s a prepaid envelope.’

The lack of empathy from the woman was clear. She did not care at all about what she had just been responsible for. 

Daniel watched Jamie glare at the woman as he held onto Sammy firmly. 

Was it better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all, wondered Daniel? He was not so sure. Watching Sammy's reaction was horrific. Watching Jamie try to help and comfort him was very distressing, knowing that the caring Alpha was experiencing the same feeling of loss as Sammy, but for him, it was not the first time.

Daniel wondered if it was easier for Jamie the second time around, watching as his Omega was forced to hand over their child? Was Jamie any less affected each time he had to hold back the smaller man? What Sammy was going through, Daniel could not even imagine. Despite knowing it was going to happen, the Omega had become attached to his son. He remembered Liam acting in the same manner, although the second time he seemed more resigned to it, but Jamie had still needed to hold him back, stop him from interfering. The bond too strong, the primal need to nurture their offspring overtaking any sense of reason for the Omega.

Not that what was happening was reasonable.

Meg had looked away, unable to watch what members of her own sex were doing to her family. Clive, tears in his eyes and a bruise forming on his cheek, was stood with his arm around her.

Daniel hated it all. Hated that Sammy was being forced to give up his first child. Hated that Jamie was being forced to hold back the confused Omega, and hated the fact that he was slightly jealous of the fact that his friends were going through the trauma. Something Daniel had never had to endure. 

~A~B~O~

Meg sobbed into Clive’s shoulder, the Beta tightened his grip on her. But Clive should not have needed to comfort her, she was supposed to be strong, a leader. A woman. But at that moment she was on a par with the Beta male, especially in the eyes of the four women who had come to take Henry away. 

The lack of warning was something that she abhorred. They knew it was going to happen, Jamie had intimated that he expected it to be happening soon after the last visit from the health visitor. But none of them knew exactly when and Sammy had clearly been denying the event would take place. The distraught Omega was still trying to free himself from Jamie’s grasp as the woman in charge left the paperwork on the coffee table. Henry was screaming as the big woman holding him walked to the door, disappearing from sight.

The woman in the suit looked at Meg for a few seconds before shaking her head and leaving followed by the other two women. They did not close the door. 

The sound of Henry’s distressed screams could be heard for several more seconds before a car door was opened and closed, muffling the sound of the baby. The cries from Sammy had not diminished, but as the car’s engine was started and they heard the car drive away Sammy faltered. His reaching arms dropped, he wilted, Jamie pulled him closer. 

‘Why did you let them take him?’ said Sammy quietly.

Daniel closed the front door and turned the lock, he looked at Clive.

‘I didn’t think, I’m sorry. I just opened the door...I didn’t think…’

Meg looked at Clive, watching the tears streaming down his cheeks. She realised the Beta male was the one who had let the women in. He obviously felt responsible.

‘It’s alright Clive, they would have forced their way in if you hadn’t opened the door,’ said Daniel.

‘Why did you let them take him?’

Meg watched as Sammy slowly pushed himself up to stand, Jamie did not let him go. She knew what would happen next. Jamie looked resigned to the grief Sammy was going to have to work through. 

Daniel was looked at Clive, ‘they should not have been rough with him,’ he said with a glance to Meg. 

Meg nodded, ‘I’m going to put in a complaint about that.’

Clive still looked guilty about letting the women in. 

‘Why did you let them take my baby?’ Sammy had managed to twist around to look at Jamie. 

Meg looked away, unable to watch as the blame from Sammy was aimed at his Alpha. And Jamie would allow his Omega to blame him for as long as he needed to. 

She vowed to get the law changed, if it was the only thing she worked on, she was going to get the law changed. Meg did not want to go through it again, did not want other families to have to go through it. 

There had to be a better way to keep the species alive. 

~A~B~O~

Daniel quietly climbed the stairs, pausing at the top step. Jamie looked up at him. The Alpha was sat on the floor to the side of Sammy’s bedroom door. The key to the door was on the outside, a necessary evil. 

Sammy had continued to hysterically shout at Jamie for some time after the baby had been taken. None of them had even tried to reason with the distraught Omega. They all knew it would be useless. They had all seen it before with Liam. What they did not know was how long Sammy would need to calm down. 

He had shouted and tried to pull away from Jamie until he had exhausted himself. Jamie had taken him up to his room, Daniel had followed a few yards behind. The need to protect the Omega from himself meant both Alphas felt compelled to be near him. Jamie had taken Sammy to his room and locked him in. Daniel had retreated for a while, leaving Jamie to weather the storm of their Omega alone.

Sammy had never questioned why his room had a lockable door, he had probably assumed it was for during his heat. But that was not the reason. The lock was to imprison the grieving Omega. They could not physically restrain Sammy until he came to terms with the loss so they had to lock him up. Daniel had made sure the windows were all firmly locked a few weeks before in anticipation of the time they would have to lock their Omega up. 

It was heartbreaking looking at the Alpha male sat on the floor outside his Omega’s bedroom. Daniel had no idea what Jamie was going through. He had been forced to assist in the removal of his son and then had to lock up his Omega for his own safety. 

‘Is he settled?’

Jamie shrugged his shoulders, ‘it’s gone quiet, he hasn’t been swearing at me for a while. He could have fallen asleep. He could just be sitting there.’

Daniel sighed, he moved to sit by Jamie.

‘How long did it last the first time with Liam?’ asked Jamie. ‘He was upset but quite resigned to it when I had to help him when our first child was taken, but he’d been through it once before by then.’

Daniel thought for a moment, ‘I’d not been with the family long at that point, but I remember it taking him a while. A couple of weeks before we could really trust him to be left alone. It was before we bonded, I don’t know what it was like for Michael.’

‘He said he hates me and never wants to see me again…’ said Jamie with a sigh.

‘He’ll come around, you’re bonded. It’s a big wrench for him...and you.’

Jamie sniffed, Daniel could tell he had been crying. The man was not only worried about his mate he was also grieving for the loss of his son. 

‘And I want to go through this,’ remarked Daniel after a few seconds of silence. ‘I want to be responsible for putting him through it.’

Jamie laughed, ‘horrible isn’t it?’

Daniel nodded. 

They continued their vigil in silence, both men wishing their lives were different. 

~A~B~O~

Sammy was lying on his side on the bed looking at empty cot. The tears had stopped falling and dried on his cheeks. He was clutching Henry’s toy lion, holding the stuffed toy to his nose, trying to keep the scent of his son alive. He did not want to forget his son's smell. 

He had known the day would come, when he would have to give the baby up, but he had not expected it so soon. He could not understand how Jamie had been so indifferent to Henry being taken away. 

Jamie had done nothing to stop the woman from taking their son. Jamie had held him back. Then his mate had locked him up, left him alone. 

Sammy hated Jamie. 

He hated them all. 

He realised now what he was. A baby making machine. That was all they really needed him for, to perform his duty and carry babies that would be taken away from him after a year. 

Henry had been crying, they had not even given him a chance to soothe his baby. A chance to say goodbye to his son. The baby had simply been carried away. Sammy would never see his son again.

And what was worse, what was worse than losing his baby was that he would probably have more babies and they would all be taken from him.

He had at least one more heat with Daniel and more with Jamie to endure. How many times would his mates allow their children to be taken from them?

Sammy decided that being an Omega was the worst thing possible.

Sammy clutched the toy lion. He started to cry again.

None of them cared about him. 

He hated them all. 

The End.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed it. More to come. It’s planned...just not written!


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